By Fox23.com News Staff
WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said a registered Level 3 sex offender in Oklahoma was arrested during an undercover operation focused on the online exploitation of minors.
Around 9:57 p.m. on May 28, authorities said they conducted a search at a home near East 93rd Place South and South 254th East Avenue in Broken Arrow following an investigation using an undercover decoy pretending to be a 15-year-old.
Investigators said they used phone records, photographs sent during the text conversation, driver’s license records and information from the Wagoner County Sex Offender Registry to identify the suspect communicating with the decoy.
Authorities said they confirmed the suspect’s identity before conducting the May 28 search.
The sheriff’s office said they seized multiple devices during the search, including cellphones, a tablet and a gaming system.
According to deputies, one of the phones seized during the search rang when it was called using the decoy’s phone.
Law enforcement said this more strongly linked the seized phone to the communications being investigated by the sheriff’s office.
Wagoner County deputies said the suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Wagoner County Jail.
Authorities stated he’s currently facing charges of Lewd Acts with a Child, Extortion and Solicitation of a Minor for Sex.
Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott stated, “Cases involving the exploitation of children remain among the highest priorities for our office. Our investigators worked diligently to identify and apprehend this suspect before any child could be harmed. Individuals who use threats, coercion or deception to target minors online should understand that law enforcement is actively monitoring these activities and will pursue every available avenue to hold offenders accountable. I commend our investigators and partner agencies for their commitment to protecting children and keeping our communities safe.”
Deputies explained that the suspect was already listed as a Level 3 registered sex offender due to a prior conviction in 2011 of a Rape by Instrumentation charge against a 14-year-old victim in Pittsburg County.
